Currently accepting clients for...

• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting
• Other Speciality

Andrea Bentschneider, a highly regarded genealogist based in Hamburg, Germany, is a leading expert in the field. Since founding "Beyond History" in 2004, she has become one of Germany's foremost genealogy specialists. Andrea maintains an active presence on national and international television, including appearances on and contributions to programs such as "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots." She also contributes regularly to German radio and television.

Beyond History offers a wide range of genealogical services, including ancestor research, probate research, emigration research, World Wars documentation, Jewish family research, and assistance with citizenship applications, serving clients worldwide. With over 20 years of experience, Andrea and her team have completed over 2,000 research projects, assisting 1,800 clients. Her work philosophy, "We give your ancestors a voice and tell their stories," reflects her dedication to uncovering and honoring ancestral narratives.

Andrea has been the President of the Association of German-speaking Professional Genealogists since 2013, setting modern standards and accreditation in the industry. In addition to this, Andrea joined the board of the International German Genealogy Partnership as a Director at-large in 2024.

As a passionate educator, she regularly conducts webinars and live presentations in both English and German at leading genealogy conferences in the US and Europe, including RootsTech, IGGC, and IAJGS. Andrea's global perspective, shaped by a decade of living in New York City, enhances her intercultural expertise.

In October 2024, she founded the German Genealogy Collective, a membership site designed to offer hobby genealogists with German roots the opportunity to learn about German genealogy and research methods in a community environment. The platform features live Q&A sessions, co-researching sessions, and masterclasses, further enhancing Andrea's commitment to building a vibrant genealogy community.

Her vision is to provide each individual with the opportunity to learn their own family history, thereby gaining a deep knowledge and complex understanding of their own origins.

Geographic Specialities

• Germany (nationwide) as well as fomer German Provinces, located today in Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, etc.
• Specific expertise in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein regions
• Jewish genealogy in Germany
• Emigration research with a focus on the Hamburg and Bremen ports

Testimonials

• "Perfect presentation! Well-paced, clear, good slides. Easy to hear. Enough time for questions. Excellent presenter and presentation! I learned so much! Thank you!"
• "I can't thank you enough for the report and documents you sent last week. My expectations were exceeded, not only because we got so lucky that Carl Adolf Johnsen submitted his Wanderbuch to the municipal government, but also the way in which you presented the information, and the insights you gave. It was all very professionally done in addition to being highly interesting and insightful." – R. Johnsen 

Additional specialities or search keywords
Emigration, Germany, German Genealogy, translation, transcription

Publications/Media

• Featured on national and international television programs such as "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots"
• Regular guest on German radio and TV shows, including NDR, ARD-Buffet, and RTL Punkt 12
• Articles in prominent German publications like SPIEGEL GESCHICHTE, Hamburger Abendblatt, and WELT am Sonntag
• Speaker and presenter at leading genealogy conferences in the US and Europe, including RootsTech, IGGC and IAJGS
• Presenter for webinars and live sessions on platforms like Legacy FamilyTree Webinars

Lectures
- German Emigration in the 19th Century: Causes, Conditions & Circumstances
- Finding Living Relatives of your Emigrant Ancestors in Germany today
- Tear down that (Genealogy Brick) Wall
- Research like a Professional German Genealogist
- Genealogical Sources in the Cosmopolitan City of Hamburg, Germany
- Leaving a Paper Trail: German Sources besides Church Documents and Civil Records
- Jewish Genealogy in Germany and Prussia
- Different Calendars in German Genealogy
- Live on a Mecklenburg Manor estate in Mecklenburg in 1895 

Repositories

• Hamburg State Archives
• Federal Archives of Germany
• Local church archives across Germany
• State and Municipal Archives in Germany and Poland
• Special Archives such as International Tracing Service (ITS) in Bad Arolsen

Research Time Periods

• 21st Century
• 20th Century
• 19th Century
• 18th Century
• 17th Century

Languages
German, English, French (read), Latin (read), incl. old German scripts

Honorifics/Credentials

• President of the Association of German-speaking Professional Genealogists (since 2013)
• Director at-large on the board of the International German Genealogy Partnership (since 2024)

Affiliations

• Association of German-speaking Professional Genealogists
• International German Genealogy Partnership
• several local German and US American genealogy societies